Digital Roommates
by BritishTeas
Summary: Keith and Lance have been internet friends for over a year but what they dont know is they have both been secretly pining after each other for the whole time. Will they ever get to meet in person?
1. chapter 1

People tell you you should never to talk to strangers online.

They're right, but not because of the reason they say. Yes, stalkers are online, but the worst part about talking to someone online is getting attached to them, knowing you're thousands of miles away from them.

That's exactly why Keith should have never responded to a message from a user called _blu-lanced_. He had figured it was just a troll sending a random message to mess with him. Being openly gay online sometimes led to some weird people sending you messages or random dick pics... well, Keith did his best to avoid those.

He had originally tried to keep his sexuality a secret, but somehow people still accused him of being gay. Perhaps they were just kidding or being rude, but it freaked Keith out to the point where he finally decided to come out online.

It was about a year ago that he had received the message from that user.

 _blu-lanced:_ yo

 _keeeeith:_...yo?

 _blu-lanced:_ hOLY SHIT

 _keeeeith:_??

 _blu-lanced:_ Didn't expect you to respond is all. What's up?

After that, they had talked and exchanged names and even got out of the odd period where they were awkward sending messages. It turned out _blu-lanced_ 's name was literally Lance. Keith had just assumed the kid had an obsession with lances, which wasn't uncommon online.

The boy shook his head as he remembered the one time a porn blog had tried to message him. Letting ou a breath he didn't realize he was holding, he did his best to forget that porn blog. That's when he felt a strong pang in his chest as he remembered: in one month, he was moving out to his college dorms in another state and probably wouldn't have much time to chat with Lance as much as he used to and that made his heart twist and ache. Ever since he'd first voice called lance a month after they'd met, Keith's heart melted any time Lance messaged him, called him, or jokingly made fun of his mullet. He didn't know why, he just found those things strangely endearing. For year, he'd been secretly pining for his best friend-- his _only_ friend-- and that friend was thousands of miles away in Cuba. Quickly, he pulled out his laptop and opened the app he used to talk to Lance on; his hands were shaky as he typed out a vague message:

 _keeeeith:_ Hey Lance, I need to tell you something..

The seventeen-year-old groaned as he almost threw down the laptop. The message had sounded like some cringey break-up message. Luckily, Lance wasn't online at the moment so at least it spared him some embarrassment; in return he got anxious. He really wanted Lance to know about him going to college soon and didn't want Lance to think he'd forgotten his favorite Cuban.

After ten minutes of distracting himself from his unnecessary anxiousness, he finally heard the noise that indicated a message had been received. The violet-eyed boy practically pounced on the computer to talk to his best friend.

 _blu-lanced:_ Sure, what's on your mind, Mullet?

 _keeeeith:_ Well, I have been meaning to tell you this, but..

 _keeeeith:_ I'm going to college soon and I won't be able to message you as much as usual, and I didn't want you to get concerned or something..

 _blu-lanced:_ Cool! Me too, dude. no harm done

Keith was thankful that Lance was his age and that they wouldn't be bored without the other not being able to be on. He messaged him back for a few minutes until he received a message that almost made him scream in frustration.

 _blu-lanced:_ I got a girlfriend today, dude!! Her name is Nyma!

Pulling up a pillow to his face, Keith groaned into it, and once he finished he laid back on the bed to look at the screen. _Another girlfriend..._ Lance had gotten many girlfriends within the year that the two had known each other, but they never lasted more than a few days and each one drove the dagger into Keith's heart farther than the last.

 _keeeeith:_ Another one? Weren't you grieving over the last one just yesterday?

 _blu-lanced:_ Dude we need to get you a boyfriend. You're probably just as horny as anyone else our age ;)

 _I only want you..._

 _keeeeith:_ Tough luck, I don't want to date anyone I know currently.

 _blu-lanced:_ Awwww not even me? I'm hurt, Mullet!

Keith's heart stopped for what seemed to be decades. Had Lance figured out about his crush on him or was he just fucking around? Surely he hadn't been that obvious... He only really ever let himself admire Lance when Lance wasn't looking at the screen during video chats or when he looked through Lance's profile, and Lance didn't even know when he did that.

 _keeeeith:_ Especially not your horny ass!

 _blu-lanced:_ I'm not that horny!! I was messing with you, dude..

Keith shook his head and laughed in relief. This wasn't the first time Lance had sent a message that left him confused and hopeful-- but he knew that hope was in vain. Lance was the straightest guy he knew.

Days and weeks passed and Keith talked to Lance daily. One day, Lance had even started singing softly on their video chat and every lyric the other sang made Keith's heart want to burst out of happiness, but his light mood was stomped on later when Lance was describing a date he had taken Nyma on with the widest smile on his face that both made Keith's heart swell and hurt.

 _At least he's happy... as long as he's happy, everything's okay..._

Keith tuned out what Lance said about her and just looked at him. Any time Lance looked away from the screen, his hand went up to touch the screen where Lance's face was displayed. He was envious of anyone that knew Lance in real life; they could touch him. Keith could only dream of being able to touch Lance's soft-looking hair or caress his cheek in person.

Keith constantly would daydream of what Lance's hands would feel like and what he'd smell like; the poor boy was so lovesick over someone who probably didn't even have a thought of seeing Keith in that same romantic way.

One more week passed and Keith found himself falling harder for Lance every day still, but he never dared to act unusual. He always kept his "kill me now" face on unless he laughed at a joke. Then, on the last day of that week, Keith wasn't able to message Lance because he was driving to his new college. _Even more new people to disappoint_.

The drive was about a five hour ride and was fairly boring; the only thing that had kept him awake was music and thinking up random scenarios of hugging or kissing Lance if they ever met in person, which would never happen. They just lived too far apart.

Keith arrived soon, but not fast enough for his mind. He got out his bag he'd packed of clothes he'd brought with and explored the campus some. The building was large and spacious-- he could tell this from the amount of soon-to-be or current students scurrying around the campus. There had to have been at least a thousand or two students there.

He found himself paying less attention as he walked; he was too busy paying attention to the buildings when he ran into someone unfamiliar to him. "Sorry..!" the stranger apologized lightning fast, helping stabilize Keith.

"I'm Hunk. Sorry about that."

Keith nodded and shrugged, showing it was fine.

"I wasn't paying attention. I'm Keith."

Hunk inspected him, then shrugged.

"Have you gotten assigned your dorm yet?" He questioned and Keith assumed he was trying to make a friend. Hunk seemed friendly enough.

"No... where do we get that at?"

"Here, we can go together.. It's down this hall to the left..."

Keith willingly followed, listening to the random things Hunk spewed out to keep the conversation flowing and Keith ended up learning more than he wanted to about baking.

Hunk finally stopped talking once they'd gotten to the desk where a woman sat behind it. "Um, hi- hello. Is this where we get assigned our dorm rooms?" Hunk stammered, looking nervous about asking.

"Yes, what are your names?"

"Keith Kogane." Keith responded, staying quiet once more while Hunk told her his full name. "Alright, Hunk. You have dorm room 102B. Your roommate is Pidge Gunderson. Keith your room is 106B and your roomm-" Keith waved dismissively, cutting off her words.

"Don't worry about the roommate thing. I want it to be a surprise."

The lady nodded. "You boys have fun looking around, then," she murmured in a light, bouncy tone. Keith glanced at her name tag before turning around to leave. "Thanks, Allura."

Keith followed Hunk to the dorms since their rooms were on the same hall-- by then, he learned that when he bakes chocolate cookies to use unsweetened chocolate instead of regular so he could control how sweet they were. He was glad when he got to his room so he could be alone. Nothing against Hunk; he just preferred being alone most of the time.

Keith got into his room and unpacked his bag, putting all of his clothes in the dresser on the left side of the room, claiming it his since his roommate wasn't there yet. He slipped on his mostly red jacket, sitting down on the bed as he waited for his roommate, playing on his phone some.

 _keeeeith:_ Hey I just got to my college dorm... spacey

The seventeen-year-old didn't get a reply to that message for a while. In fact, nothing happened for what seemed like hours until he was lying on his bed on the right side of the room, almost asleep in a nap.

Then, his dorm room creaked opened as the stranger let out a relaxed sigh that stopped short.

"Mullet?!"


	2. thump thump

"What the fu-" Keith bolted to sit up, freezing as he saw a tall, familiar Cuban in the doorway. He was wearing that same baggy green jacket with the orange stripe around his arms that he almost always wore in video calls. Both of the boys' eyes were wide as they just stared- both too astounded to move. It was obvious that Lance, too, had requested for his roommate to be a surprise.

"Lance?! Is it really y-"

"How could anyone else in the world be as dashing as the one and only me~?" Lance put on a proud smirk as Keith rolled his eyes, standing up.

"It really is you.." the shorter groaned, walking up to him, tensing up in surprise when Lance wrapped him in a large, warm... amazing... short... hug...

 _Fuck. He's so warm- he smells like citrus oranges-?_

They both pulled back away from the hug and there was a light pink tint on Keith's face that he turned around to hide, but what he didn't see because of this was the same color filling Lance's cheeks.

"That bed's yours... now how the hell- We're roommates-?! Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?"

"You didn't tell me you were coming here either." Lance chuckled.

Fuck.

Lance's voice was much smoother in real life or was he just imagining it? He didn't care; either way his crush was here with him... Oh quiznack. Now he'd have to hide his crush even more. Now he'd have to see and meet the girls Lance brought in. He knew each time it would kill him more and more. Lance was supposed to be his-- not every random girl that Lance managed to seduce probably at a bar.

Mine...

Keith turned back to Lance to see his back as he unpacked his personal items into his dresser, and Keith's eyes accidentally slipped down to quickly look at Lance's ass.

 _Fuck_.

Lance was so much hotter in person.

 _Fuck my homosexual tendencies-_

"Mullet?" Lance hummed as he turned around to look the the other. "Why don't we go get some coffee?"

Keith nodded flicking his gaze up quickly, gulping only slightly so Lance couldn't notice. It sounded so much like a date that he internally leaped with joy.

I want to be his fucking boyfriend and kiss him already-

"Keith? You there?" Lance laughed, "You zoned out," the Cuban added when Keith snapped out of his thoughts, looking confused. Keith didn't notice the brunet itching for another hug or just how badly Lance had wished it were a real date and vice versa. Keith was too oblivious and apparently, so was Lance.

On the walk there, Keith admittedly walked a little too close to Lance to be considered normal, but Lance made no comment on the matter, so he continued to enjoy the closeness. Keith's little moment of enjoyment was cut short when he remembered Lance had a girlfriend. "Uh.. how's Nyma?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Ah, Nyma... what a sexy girl... I broke up with her, sadly. I knew I was coming to this college and long-distance isn't really my style, so, here we are." Lance shrugged, not nearly as affected by this breakup as he was with his last few and Keith noticed this easily.

"Ah." Keith nodded, continuing to look ahead as he walked, causing Lance to laugh. "That's your response? 'ah'? You're certainly weird, Mullet!"

"Why are you laughing so hard? You're probably going to choke on your own lungs if you go on-" Keith trailed off when he noticed Lance had stopped laughing and was staring at something, causing Keith to follow the stare to a cute girl that was fairly showy with her body.

"Her? Seriously?" Keith groaned, a little annoyed, but Lance took his tone as joking.

Lance rested his hand on Keith's shoulder, causing the shorter's heart to burst within his chest. "Ah, Mullet. One day you'll learn the methods and tricks to flirtation so even you can get laid," he mused, trying to sound like a professional.

"Lance, I am capable of flirting-- I'm not a virgin you know," he retorted, crossing his arms as they walked; Lance only chuckled, "I figured that when I first saw you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Keith inquired, raising a large eyebrow at Lance, genuinely curious, but the other didn't respond immediately. He took a moment to think of a way to word his response as he held the coffee shop's door open for his roommate.

"Well, you're hot enough to make any straight or gay guy to go after you." He shrugged, leading Keith up to the counter, sounding like it was completely obvious. The casual tone stunned Keith for a solid minute.

 _What?_

"Even a guy as straight as you?" Keith retorted, hoping his hopeful undertones were hidden.

"Keith, I am not straight." Lance sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "You need to get your gaydar checked."

 _What? Fuc-_

"You're not gay-"

"You're right. I'm not straight either."

"Then you're..."

"I'm _bi_.. I thought you'd noticed?" Lance shot a teasing glance at Keith. "I hinted enough once that I'd brought home a boy before."

 _fuck._

"Oh, I... oh." Keith stammered, obviously at a loss of words. His face was contorted in an adorable confusion as Lance ordered his drink. He was still lost in his confusion as Lance elbowed him in the side, snapping back to reality.

"One... One iced coffee please.."

The raven-haired boy's head snapped to look over at Lance as he heard a snicker. "Oh my god, Mullet. You're so _basic_."

"Just because I like iced coffee doesn't mean I'm basic, you ass." Keith grumbled as Lance laughed enough that his chest hurt, causing a small, amused smile to play on Keith's lips.

Lance was there-- even better he was _laughin_ _g_. Keith's heart swelled and beat rapidly-- he was afraid Lance would be able to _hear_ it just like he could in his own ears.

 _thump thump._

They went over to sit at a table as they waited for their drinks to be called out, and Keith was trying to observe Lance without being too obvious, but he _totally_ failed at that.

"Mullet? Why are you staring at me?" Lance suddenly gasped, "DO I HAVE A DICK ON MY FOREHEAD AGAIN?"

Keith's face contorted once again in extreme confusion as he burst ouout laughing at Lance's concerned face. "Lance, do I even want to know?"

Keith laughed so hard his cheeks and abdomen hurt from being overworked.

 _thump thump_

That boy would be the end of Keith, and by god, Keith was down for it.

Lance was about to explain his little story as their drinks were called out so he stopped as they both got up to go grab their drinks. Keith relished the coolness of the drink; he was always burning up and refused to take his jacket off even then to keep his little aesthetic going, so he'd always order cool drinks to compliment himself nicely.

Lance, on the other hand, had ordered a peppermint mocha, and Keith figured he must've been a bit cold. Together, they walked out of the store and down the sidewalk as they sipped on their drinks. Lance dominated their conversation easily, and Keith secretly loved every second of it, though he'd die before admitting it outloud.

 _thump thump_

Keith tried to ignore his ever racing heart and mind rushing to memorize every movement Lance's hand did as he talk and every word he said. He still comprehend that Lance was _there_. After a whole _year_ of knowing him, he was within hugging distance- yet he wasn't his to hug.

All that mattered to Keith in the end was that Lance was there with him.

Keith learned all about Lance-- although most things he already knew. Lance talked about his flight to the college and how getting a good passport photo of himself had taken an hour because he kept blinking or his hair was off.

As Lance talked, Keith noticed the little details, like how before Lance would say something, he'd glance over and give a small smirk on his lips like it was top secret information he was sharing-- it made Keith swoon inside all the more.

 _thump_ thump

None of that compared to when Keith made a small pun and Lance laughed like it was the best thing he'd ever heard, and Keith swore he could've felt Cupid's arrow shoot straight through his heart.

 _ **thunk.**_


End file.
